West Ham aren’t known as the Academy of Football for nothing and there are plenty of exciting young talents coming through at the club.

Slaven Bilic certainly rates his youngsters but rather than throw them into the Premier League straight away, he would rather send them out on loan and get some vital experience.

So, what could the Hammers team look like in 2022/23 season, five years from now? The London Stadium will likely have a new name – the Ann Summers Arena or something – with the side regularly battling for European places (yes, really).

Alex Smithies

Now 31-years-old, Smithies arrived at the Hammers from QPR two seasons previously after the west Londoners were promoted to the Premier League then went back down again. Darren Randolph remains at the club as back up at the age of 34.

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Reece Burke

Now 25, Burke has ousted Sam Byram from the right back slot, who has since returned to Leeds United. Having been at the club since a youngster, Burke has since earned England caps and is the undisputed number one in that position.

Reece Oxford

Reece Oxford (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Made West Ham skipper after Mark Noble decided to call it a day at the age of 34 the previous season. Oxford is now 23, an England regular and a rock solid presence at the back for the Hammers, having signed a new contract extension in 2020 to keep him a “one club man.”

Winston Reid

Now 33, Reid hasn’t gone anywhere, especially since Jose Fonte decided to move on at the end of his three-and-a-half year deal he signed in 2017. Bilic has kept Reid to be the experienced head in what is a relatively young defence. He’s lost a yard of pace but has Oxford to cover his tracks.

Pedro Obiang

A cult hero at the Ann Summers Arena, the Spaniard is arguably the best in his position in the Premier League after N’Golo Kante was sold by Chelsea by Real Madrid for a world-record fee.

Now 29, Obiang has been heavily linked with a move to west London to replace Kante but there was no way he was going to cross that divide. Obiang also has the bestselling replica shirt at the Hammers stadium stores.

Josh Cullen

After two more season away on loan, Cullen got his big break at the start of 2021 season and hasn’t looked back, playing in the Mark Noble role in the Hammers’ midfield.

Now 25, the all-action midfielder is the heartbeat of the West Ham team. Everything revolves around him in the engine room.

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Marcus Browne

The 24-year-old has developed into one of the most exciting talents every produced at West Ham and is an automatic first choice in midfield.

Pushed more on to the wing in recent seasons, the nippy midfielder is extremely adept at whipping in dangerous crosses for the strikers to get their heads on.

Nathan Holland

Nathan Holland is a recent signing from Everton. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Signed from Everton in 2017, the now 23-year-old is already an England international and a Hammers fan favourite. Has developed a bit of a nasty streak in him over the years and can get hot-headed, with a few red cards to his name but also capable of producing outstanding moments of quality.

Martin Samuelsen

The mercurial winger is now a frustrating figure at the Ann Summers Arena, capable of going from the sublime to the ridiculous in a matter of minutes.

Scored 12 goals from midfield the previous season after recovering from a nasty knee injury and a falling out with Marcus Browne as their bromance went downhill rapidly after a leaked Snapchat video.

Domingos Quina

Keeps himself to himself but goes out and scores goals for fun. Replicated his 40-yard strike in 2017 in the 2021 season to beat Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

The Portuguese star, who is now 22, has taken over the mantle from Cristiano Ronaldo as his country’s poster boy, helping his country defend their European Championship title in 2020.

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Toni Martinez

Martinez has already racked up nearly 100 goals for the Hammers having been promoted to the first team at the start of the 2017/18 season.

Tied down to a long-term contract as soon as he made the grade at Premier League level, Martinez has been touted with a move to Barcelona as a replacement for the now 35-year-old Luis Suarez. Managed to oust Andy Carroll from the number nine shirt, with the Geordie striker since heading back Newcastle to end his career up north.